by Natalie Lynn Borton
I discovered this quote a while ago, but had forgotten about it
until recently when a dear friend reminded me of it. It’s such a beautiful
truth, isn’t it? We hate to struggle and we crave to be beautiful, but what if
in order to be truly beautiful, we had to experience the pain, suffering and
loss we constantly try to avoid in life?
Beauty isn’t about lipstick and skinny jeans and perfect looking locks. It’s rooted deep within—it’s found in the depths of the soul. It’s not so much that pain makes us beautiful, but rather what comes from it. When we go through difficulties in life—be it unemployment, death of a loved one, an eating disorder, depression, a tough family life, you name it—it makes us humble. Rather than demonstrating pride or arrogance that can so often come with life being perfect, painful experiences make us people who care.
Though trying times can often cause us to be inwardly focused for a season while we process, that time of introspection creates self-awareness, and when combined with the healing that comes in time, it produces compassion, empathy, gentleness and love that wasn’t there before.
I truly believe that with each trial we face in life, we have the opportunity to become more and more beautiful. To paraphrase Beth Moore, all that we’ve done or has been done to us in our past exists to make space for grace. The more grace we experience, the more capacity we have to love, and the more beautiful we become.
Beauty isn’t about lipstick and skinny jeans and perfect looking locks. It’s rooted deep within—it’s found in the depths of the soul. It’s not so much that pain makes us beautiful, but rather what comes from it. When we go through difficulties in life—be it unemployment, death of a loved one, an eating disorder, depression, a tough family life, you name it—it makes us humble. Rather than demonstrating pride or arrogance that can so often come with life being perfect, painful experiences make us people who care.
Though trying times can often cause us to be inwardly focused for a season while we process, that time of introspection creates self-awareness, and when combined with the healing that comes in time, it produces compassion, empathy, gentleness and love that wasn’t there before.
I truly believe that with each trial we face in life, we have the opportunity to become more and more beautiful. To paraphrase Beth Moore, all that we’ve done or has been done to us in our past exists to make space for grace. The more grace we experience, the more capacity we have to love, and the more beautiful we become.
How
has pain in your past made you a more beautiful woman today?
This. is. spot. on. Thank you for these words Natalie! Printing this to hang it in my office as a reminder that seasons of hardship exist to grow and mature us into women God created us to be. Wonderful post.
ReplyDeleteThanks Adrienne!!
DeleteThat quote is absolutely amazing!!
ReplyDeleteI feel like my pain, particularly my experiences with online bullying and depression, have softened my heart (as opposed to hardening it) and enabled me to look at how I treat other people. To be better at showing grace, mercy, and compassion. To being more open to hearing their story and what they've been through, as opposed to just writing them off.
My family situation has also taught me a lot; seeing the way my parents have treated (and still do) treat each other, it has opened my eyes to what I DON'T want in a relationship or a marriage. And that if you're not willing to accept responsibility for the mistakes you've made and grow as a person, it's going to destroy all of your relationships, and perhaps even destroy your heart in the process.
Yes, pain is a pretty ugly thing. But it is what is born out of it that makes it beautiful. God bless!
So glad to see that you're letting your pain have a purpose. God never wastes our pain—he always lets it be redeemed!
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